Especially useful appendices at the end, including a listing of jeffersons favorite wines that are. Jon meacham received the pulitzer prize for his 2008 biography of andrew jackson, american lion. In thomas jefferson on wine, john hailman celebrates a fou. Jefferson vineyards wines wine shop current releases. His wine interest is so much part of his travels in europe that the subjects are aptly combined here. For 20 years in his youth, from the age of 17 to 37 17601780, thomas jefferson was an active participant in many events in williamsburg. It was touted as a rare bottle owned by thomas jefferson, with 1787 lafitte and th. He is also the author of the new york times bestsellers thomas jefferson. My successes, failures, near misses, and the lessons i learned with the insight of todays 2020 vision. And in 2012, the thomas jefferson foundation and monticello agreed. Thomas jefferson on wine by john hailman, paperback barnes. However, it is jefferson who stands as a symbol of this american love affair with bordeaux.
Gaye wilson talked about the clues in thomas jeffersons dress and mannerisms that reveal how he wished to present himself and his politics in the new republic. University press of mississippi, 2006 dlc 2006010989 ocolc65978537. By 1814 when the british burned the nations capitol and the library of congress, jefferson had acquired the largest. He may also have been americas first wine connoisseur something. Jefferson the englightenment thinker, jefferson the inventor. As such, the text is divided into the following relevant. Before his journey to france in 1784, jefferson, like most of his countrymen, had been a consumer of madeira and port, with the occasional glass of red wine. According to the catalogue, evidence suggested that the wine had belonged to thomas jefferson, and that the bottle at auction could rightly be considered one of the worlds greatest rarities. Shadwell burned to the ground in 1770, destroying nearly every paper and book jefferson owned except for a few of his pocket account books.
An evening with thomas jefferson wine dinner colonial. In my book, thomas jefferson on wine university press of mississippi 2006, readers can now chronologically explore the evolution of thomas jeffersons tastes in wine as well as food, since you. Historian calls for return to jeffersonian principles with. New book on jefferson bottles riddled with inaccuracies. Thomas jefferson is so well known that it is difficult to find a book about him that offers new insight into his multifaceted character. Flip through thomas jeffersons 18th century wine records. Exploring thomas jeffersons love of wine journal of the. In both his personal and public lives, jefferson wielded his considerable expertise to influence the drinking habits of his friends, other founding fathers, and the american public away from hard liquor. As host of the popular weekly radio show and podcast the thomas jefferson hour, jenkinson applies jeffersonian perspective to current events. This fascinating book chronicles the evolution of thomas jeffersons love and appreciation of fine wine. In thomas jefferson on wine, john hailman celebrates a founding fathers lifelong interest in wine and provides unprecedented insight into jeffersons character from this unique perspective. The controversial german wine collector who will be forever linked to what many regard as one of the greatest wine frauds in history, the discovery and sale of the thomas jefferson bottles, has. Wine, and jeffersons love of it, is a window through which we can better see and understand jefferson in all of his forms. The story hinges on a bottle of 1787 chateau lafite supposedly owned by third us president thomas jefferson, authenticated and sold in 1985 to the forbes family for a record.
A free mind, jefferson singlehandedly upped americas wine game, serving as official wine advisor to washington, madison, and monroe. Book for the past decade, i have been working on a book which chronicles my 40 years in the wine industry. We dont believe those bottles ever belonged to thomas jefferson, she. Shadwell burned to the ground in 1770, destroying nearly every paper and book jefferson owned except for a few of his pocket account books, which are the sole source of his brief comments. We are pleased to offer a diverse portfolio of wines best suited to our unique terroir along virginias blue ridge mountains. The level of the wine was exceptionally high for such an old bottlejust half an.
Alex henderson said in his history of ancient and modern wines, published the year after jefferson died, that his contemporaries thought canary wine to be the richest, the most firm, the best. The goal at thomas jefferson wine company is to be recognized as the most professional and authoritative source for strategic advice in the fine wine industry. Thomas jefferson on wine by john hailman goodreads. In this book, he distills jeffersons ethos into themes. This bottle was a bordeaux, a 1787 chateau lafite, and, according to the guinness book of world records, 18 years later it still is the worlds most expensive bottle of wine. Jefferson is usually assumed to be a bordeaux man, in part because he wrote about it most and in part because bordeaux seems like the wine that reflects his character. Hailman brings jefferson to life for modern americans.
Thomas jefferson books wine 1793 autograph letter signed. In both his personal and public lives, jefferson wielded his considerable expertise to influence the drinking habits of his friends, other founding fathers, and the american public away from hard liquor toward the healthier pleasures of wine. Thomas jeffersons observations about wine wouldnt seem out of place in the current issue of wine spectator. Today, jefferson vineyards is a mile from monticello and does what jefferson was unable to do, make wines from grapes grown from thomas jeffersons original vineyard sites. Drinking habits of founding fathers of america thrillist. Wine with thomas jefferson, thomas jeffersons favorite. To jefferson, wine was a metaphor for the positive attributes and. International wine judge and syndicated columnist john hailman traces jeffersons evolution from.
The book then begins to focus on the sorry tale of the legal proceedings over the authenticity of the jefferson bottles, drawing into the discussion the thorny issue of counterfeit wine in. Throughout his life, books were vital to thomas jeffersons education and wellbeing. Since much of the finewine business is conducted in offthebooks. Thomas jefferson on wine american association of wine economists. Thomas jefferson was the nations third president, our first ambassador to france, an inventor and master gardener. Founding father of wine thomas jefferson napa valley. In celebration of thomas jeffersons birthdayapril we are digging deep into this founding father of wine and third potus grapegrowing experiments from his celebrated home in monticello, virginia. Thomas jefferson on wine by john hailman, paperback.
Both were situated in the south orchard, below the garden wall. In 1985, a german rockmusic impresarioturnedwine dealer named hardy rodenstock claimed to have come into possession of a handful of bottles that he said were originally owned by. My successes, failures, near misses, and the lessons i learned with the insight of todays. Through a combination of original research, imaginative writing, and beautiful illustrations, james gabler has captured an intimate portrait of thomas jefferson at leisure, enjoying two of his passionswine.
Thomas jefferson on wine by john hailman overdrive. I highly recommend it for those interested in wine and for those interested in jefferson. If you are interested in thomas jeffersons interest in wine and viticulture, this is the book to get. Thomas jefferson, described as americas first distinguished viticulturist and the greatest patron of wine and wine growing that this country has yet had, established two vineyards at monticello. Broadbent, the legendary former head of christies wine department, alleges that wallace defamed him in his gripping whodunit about the socalled thomas jefferson bottlesa trove of wines initially. The best account given of his short but actionpacked visit to bordeaux comes care of.
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